


Dashing Through the Snow with Friends

by spikesgirl58



Series: 14 days of Christmas [10]
Category: Doctor Who (2005), Sapphire and Steel
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:08:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28170660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spikesgirl58/pseuds/spikesgirl58
Summary: You meet the nicest folks in a one horse open sleigh... and some not so nice!
Series: 14 days of Christmas [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2050131
Comments: 12
Kudos: 11





	Dashing Through the Snow with Friends

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alynwa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alynwa/gifts).



Donna Noble brushed some snow from her gloves and waited patiently. Ever since she was a little girl, she’d wanted to go on an old-fashioned sleigh ride. One of the nice things about being a companion to The Doctor was that he had a way of making dreams come true. He’d taken her back to a time when the snow fell.

The sleigh pulled up in front of her and the driver got down to offer her his hand. Donna climbed in and looked around happily. It was getting dark and soon she would have to return to their predetermined pick-up spot. With any luck, the TARDIS would be waiting for her, warm and welcoming. Until then, she had an hour of one-horse open sleigh to enjoy.

“Just the one, Miss?” the driver asked.

“Yes, I’m alone.”

“Might I join you?” The blonde haired woman smiled hopefully and Donna nodded.

“More the merrier!” Donna held out a hand to her. It was grasped with a strength that was surprising given the slenderness of the fingers. “Welcome aboard.”

“Thank you.” The woman’s outfit was vividly blue and yet it suited her perfectly. It didn’t seem adequate against the cold, though. “Brr,” She said

The driver threw a heavy blanket over their knees and climbed back up. “Let’s go, Rocky!”

The horse threw his head and snorted. The blonde smiled. “I think someone is ready for his oats,” she said to Donna.

“Right you are, Miss.” The driver climbed back down and slid a feed bag over the horse’s mouth

“I didn’t know you spoke horse,” Donna joked. She offered a mittened hand. “I’m Donna Noble.”

“I’m very pleased to meet you. I am Sapphire.” The sleigh started with a jerk and she laughed as she toppled over. “I’ve always wanted to do this, but my companion poo-poo’d the idea. He’s a bit too serious most of the time.”

“Mine, too. Well, who needs ‘em when we have us!” Donna laughed, then tilted her head back to catch a snowflake on her tongue. “Still, I wish this was a happier time for him.”

“Is he missing his family?”

 _More like his entire planet,_ Donna thought. “He is, but he always says this is a time for friends, if not family. This is a stressful time for him, so I thought giving him a bit of time without me in his hair would help.”

“Mine lacks the Christmas gene, I suspect.” Sapphire closed her eyes. “The bells are lovely.”

Donna had to admit the jingling sleigh bells were sweet. All around, folks were scurrying either to home or to another store. “’Course, this nothing like being home with my family.”

“You aren’t from here.” Donna seemed surprised by her observation. “Your accent.”

“Right enough. Liverpool, to be honest, then my mum moved us. It’s just me, her and Grandad. I miss them.”

“Won’t you be with them for Christmas day?”

“Well, that’s the rub, inn’t? They don’t like my bloke and he doesn’t do well with my mum. So, my choice is to be with them or him.”

Sapphire nodded sadly. She wished she’d known hers. Suddenly her hands were clasped and she was abruptly hugged. She stiffened briefly, then relaxed.

“I’m sorry.” Donna released her. “You just looked so sad I couldn’t resist.”

“I’m glad you couldn’t. I never knew my parents. Not really. This is sometimes… hard.”

“None of that, now.” Donna brushed a tear from Sapphire’s face off with her mitten. “This is a time for hope and happiness.”

“Donna Noble, you are such an incredible lady.”

“Me? Naw, nothing special about me.”

“The Doctor would disagree.” Sapphire tilted her head back, smiling as the snowflakes fell cool against her skin.

Donna gasped. “You know The Doctor?”

“Who did you think my partner is commiserating with at this moment?”

“Why, I never! Seven degrees of separation and all that.” Donna started to laugh, then sobered. “Are you an alien?”

“Not precisely, let’s just say we work in tandem with your friend to keep things safe. Our methods are quite different, though.” Sapphire’s voice dropped so that even Donna had to struggle to hear it. “You work with Time, we fight against it.”

They were nearing some lights and Donna sighed. “I can’t believe it’s already over. That was a fast hour.”

Sapphire sat up sharply and looked around. _Donna, can you hear me? If you can, nod slowly._ Donna’s head bobbed up and down. _Good, when I say jump, jump. Run as fast as you can in the opposite direction of the sleigh. Don’t stop and don’t look back. Do you understand? Wipe your face if you do._

Donna’s mitten came up to brush the snow from her cheek.

“NOW!”

Sapphire watched the woman hurl herself out of the sleigh. She followed a split second later. 

_STEEL, I need you now!_

There was no response, but suddenly the lights flared and she ran, throwing herself to one side of the road and heading towards the safety of the trees. Her back burned hot and she cried out as she fell into a bank of snow. It was cool on her skin and wrapped her in a cocoon of white.

Sapphire opened her eyes, expecting trees or even nothingness. Instead she looked up to Donna’s anxious green eyes. “She’s awake.”

“Thank the stars.” Steel was there. “How do you feel?”

“Tired.” She tried to sit up. “What happened?”

“You were nearly sucked into a Time Breach, like the trap they set for us in that diner. Luckily, we were able to close it.”

“We?”

“The Doctor, Donna and myself.” He brushed a strand of hair from her face. “I have learned a lesson about standing in the way of a determined female.”

Donna laughed. “That’s one of the nicest things anyone’s ever said about me.” She took one of Sapphire’s hand and squeezed. “I was so worried about you. Thankfully, they were keeping tabs on us.”

Sapphire nodded and managed to sit up, leaning against Steel for support. She drank some water and that helped restore her.

“How are you feeling?” The Doctor leaned in close and studied her face. “Nasty bit of trouble, those Transuranics. I’ll take the Daleks any day.”

“Feel like a bit of something to eat?” Donna gestured to the table. “I didn’t know Steel could cook.”

“He… he can’t… can he?”

“I’ve been around you long enough to pick up a trick or two.” He helped her up and guided her to a brightly-decorated table. “Donna helped a lot.”

“She did. If she hadn’t picked up on the time break, I never would have.”

The Doctor slipped an arm around Donna’s shoulders and squeezed. “That’s what I love about her. She’s always there when she’s needed. Got me out of more than a few scrapes.”

Sapphire sat and took the Christmas cracker from her plate. “I’m told that’s for afterwards,” Steel said as he took his place beside her. “Are you really all right?”

She nodded and looked over at Donna as The Doctor held her chair for her. “I am with friends and at this time of the year, that’s what matters the most. May I have a little dark meat, please?”

And the TARDIS hummed happily, for it was true. This was the time for love and friends. __  
  



End file.
